Henrietta Cetas of Riverhead died on Feb. 26 at South Bay Hospital in Sun City Center, Florida. She was 100 years old.
She was born on May 12, 1921 in Dothan, Alabama to Bryant and Cornelia (Kitching) Burkett.
She taught piano to students in Riverhead.
She helped found the Calvary Baptist Church in 1954 and served as its choir director until 2006 and organist until 2011. In the 1960s, she provided two piano recitals of classical music for the benefit of the Northville Grange on Sound Avenue and the Baiting Hollow Congregational Church.
Her hobbies included playing the piano and organ, telling stories of her childhood, music, singing, swimming at local beaches, tennis, softball, basketball, gymnastics, bicycling and walking.
Her family said she was a “loving, unselfish person and had many friends over her long lifetime both in and out of church.”
She was predeceased by her husband Robert, three brothers and three sisters. She is survived by her children Charles of Riverhead and Cheryl (Winston) Bowen-Hay of Sun City Center, Florida, granddaughters Vanessa (Steve) Leblanc of Fort Walton Beach, Florida and Alison (Randy) Barkalow of Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri and four great-grandchildren.
A viewing will be held on Thursday, March 10 from 2 to 4 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. at Tuthill-Mangano Funeral Home in Riverhead. A celebration of life will be held at Calvary Baptist Church. The funeral service will be held on Friday, March 11 at 11 a.m. with a short viewing period before at 10:30 a.m. Interment will follow at Calverton National Cemetery.
Memorial donations may be made to Calvary Baptist Church of Riverhead.
